Her head throbbed, an agonizing, splitting pain. It felt as if something inside her skull were fracturing, or perhaps burrowing frantically in every direction.
Just as the agony reached its peak, something suddenly draped over her body. It felt like being plunged into cool, refreshing water in the middle of a sweltering summer. Even the pressure in her head began to recede.
Ah Jiao breathed a silent sigh of relief as the chaotic visions before her eyes slowly dissolved into nothingness.
Having received his orders, Qi Wuyi began to extract the mortal aura from Chen Ah Jiao’s body. As he did, he could sense the shifts in her emotions throughout the process.
When he first began the spell, he noticed her emotional fluctuations were violent; she seemed trapped in a harrowing nightmare. But as the mortal aura was gradually drawn out, Qi Wuyi felt her spirit begin to steady.
He estimated that she would wake in a few hours. However, he wondered how his boss was faring on his end.
***
Upon arriving at the Yanluo Mansion, Shen Zhi was led directly into the inner chambers. Lord Yanluo was there, as was Yanluo himself.
"Shen Zhi, why have you come?" Lord Yanluo asked. "Do you have new thoughts regarding what we discussed earlier?"
"Reporting to Your Lordship, the progress at the Reincarnation Platform is proceeding without issue. I have come today for a different matter."
"Sit. Tell us what it is."
"My Lord, earlier today, while the ghost official Yuan Deng was leading souls back to the Judgment Bureau after their reincarnation cycles, they were attacked by Hong Sang. One soul nearly had its essence scattered."
"Hong Sang? Isn't she stationed at the Bureau of Destinations? Why was she at the Reincarnation Platform?" Lord Yanluo asked, puzzled.
"Ahem, Senior Brother, don't you know that Hong Sang has... certain feelings for him?" Yanluo explained, taking a sip of tea.
"Hiss... I forgot!" Lord Yanluo pondered for a moment, thinking he understood. "So, are you saying Hong Sang is obstructing the business of the Reincarnation Bureau because you rejected her?"
"Rejected? When was this?" Lord Yanluo was shocked. Wasn't Hong Sang one of his people from the Judgment Bureau? How did he not know about this?
"...Shen Zhi, though Hong Sang is willful, she wouldn't go that far. Is there something else you haven't explained clearly?" Yanluo’s eyes crinkled with a knowing smile.
Had he known Yanluo would be here, Shen Zhi would have chosen a different time to visit.
Shen Zhi sighed inwardly before speaking after a brief pause. "Furthermore... the mother of that injured soul has had, ahem, frequent dealings with me. Hong Sang likely mistook the soul's identity and lashed out at her by mistake..."
"And so..."
Shen Zhi quickly presented the strand of mana he had extracted from Chen Ah Jiao’s body. "This was recovered from the injured soul by the Ghost Physician. I also checked the Mirror of Retained Shadows near the site of the incident. It confirms that only Hong Sang had close contact with her. The evidence is irrefutable."
Yanluo took the cluster of mana, verified it indeed belonged to Hong Sang, and handed it to Lord Yanluo. Since Hong Sang belonged to the Judgment Bureau, it was better for his senior brother to handle the matter.
Though Hong Sang had only injured an ordinary ghost, the root of the issue lay with Shen Zhi. Moreover, that soul had been specifically chosen to participate in the Reincarnation Platform trials.
This matter could be treated as either minor or severe. Viewed leniently, it was merely Hong Sang losing her temper and harming a minor spirit—a small matter requiring only a light reprimand. Viewed strictly, it was a case of personal vendetta and intentional obstruction of the Reincarnation Platform trials, which would be enough to bring heavy consequences upon her.
Lord Yanluo remained silent for a moment before calling out, "Someone, bring Hong Sang here."
He then turned back to Shen Zhi. "Shen Zhi, let me ask you: are you planning to marry?"
"???" Shen Zhi was stunned. Why was his Lordship asking this?
Lord Yanluo sighed. "You have followed us brothers for many years. Back then, to prevent internal strife among the Ghost Tribe, you voluntarily stepped down to serve as a mere Commandery Official. If you are to be married, we brothers will naturally take your future into greater consideration."
Beside him, Yanluo nearly spat out his tea. Why was it that his senior brother was always so logical when discussing official business, yet his thoughts flew wildly whenever personal matters arose?
Yanluo quickly interjected, "Don't be nervous, Shen Zhi. It's just his old habit acting up. Senior Brother, shouldn't you decide on Hong Sang's punishment first?" As for Shen Zhi getting married, that was likely a long way off. From what he knew, the female ghost named Liu Piao, who was so close to Shen Zhi, didn't even seem to know he liked her yet.
"Hong Sang has been diligent in managing the Bureau of Destinations over the years," Lord Yanluo mused. "Though she has erred this time, we shall focus on admonishment. Let her reflect on her actions in the Pure Chamber of the Judgment Bureau for one hundred years. The Bureau of Destinations shall be temporarily handed over to Ji Jiang."
"Your subordinate obeys the command!"
Leaving the Yanluo Mansion, Shen Zhi headed toward the residence of Fei Kang. First, he needed to inform him of the verdict regarding Hong Sang; second, Ji Jiang was a scribe under Fei Kang’s command, so he had to deliver the transfer order.
Normally, Hong Sang’s actions could have been reported directly to Ghost Emperor Fei Kang, but after some thought, Shen Zhi had decided to go to the Yanluo Mansion instead. Fei Kang understood this perfectly; after all, a punishment from him would carry a different weight than one from Lord Yanluo.
"Husband, do you think our Underworld will soon be celebrating a grand occasion?" Celestial Master Yun Yue asked with a smile as she watched Shen Zhi’s departing figure. She knew a thing or two about Hong Sang’s frequent personal vendettas against female ghosts who were close to Shen Zhi, but because Shen Zhi had never taken a firm stance before, those incidents usually ended with mere verbal warnings. She hadn't expected him to take it so seriously this time.
"Hmm? Who knows? Speaking of which, marriages in the Underworld seem to have become rarer in recent years. A few days ago, Ji Jiang even discussed with me whether the Sincerity Tower in the Marriage Pavilion should be abolished, since no ghost immortals have visited it in a century."
"Abolish it? No!"
"I know we can't abolish it. After all, the Sincerity Tower was specifically established for us by the Two Venerable Gods back then."
The Marriage Pavilion was the place that handled unions in the Underworld. However, Ghost Emperor Fei Kang had been the first of the Ghost Tribe to marry a mortal, a feat without precedent. Thus, the Two Venerable Gods had specifically ordered the creation of the Sincerity Tower within the Marriage Pavilion to facilitate the unions between ghosts and mortals.
